Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.
Author's Note: Alright, some news. A very respected and valued reader who has faithfully reviewed each and every chapter has threatened to find me and "kick my butt" if Renee is not sent home in this chapter! ha! luckily, it was already planned . . .
Chapter 113 Leaving
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am a newlywed,"
I announced, the round of applause and cat calls was deafening.
"While I have been here at your beautiful hotel, I was inspired to write this song for my wife."
I turned my attention to her, looking directly into her eyes,
"Bella, I love you more than life itself.
I don't always have the correct reactions - but I always love you."
BPOV
God, could he be more perfect?
I couldn't help but stare at my husband. He sat animated, on the edge of his chair using his hands to gesture as he added to the conversation. He and his brothers were recalling the tale of how they had gotten so involved in chasing and devouring an entire heard of mountain sheep that they had to move mountains, literally, to reach the train as it passed by on the other side of the mountain - the shortcut they had taken to run the night we had been on the Orient Express.
"You should have see it, Kate," Jasper laughed, "Emmett was hysterical. He decided it was entirely too much trouble to go up and over the peak with all the snow and avalanches we would cause, so he just started throwing boulders and cleared a path through an old tunnel that had collapsed years ago. He looked like a large ball of rubble and dirt himself by the time he broke through on the other side!"
"Is that why you were so disgusting when I came back from dinner you big lug," Rose exclaimed as she smacked him on the shoulder.
"What? It was the most direct route," Emmett yelped, indignantly, "We had to get Eddie here back to the train or he would have ripped both our arms off!"
"We could have gone over the pass just as quickly," Edward laughed.
"Yea . . . maybe, but I got there with style!" Emmett laughed emphatically.
Alice just sat with her arms crossed, smiling and shaking her head. She had undoubtedly seen their antics in her head already.
"Honestly boys, is that really fun to you? What if you had missed the train?
Irina asked.
"We would never have missed the train," Edward said seriously, reaching to give my knee a squeeze, "Worst case, I'm faster than the train and there is no way it was going anywhere without me on it with my family."
"I think that was the first time I have ever called Edward's name, expecting him to miraculously hear me regardless of the distance . . . "
"That's the first time he has been out of hearing range, darlin'," Jasper interrupted, snickering, and causing a round of laughter.
"Well, anyway, I guess I've gotten spoiled with him being able to always hear me."
"I would have thought you would have hated our ability to hear . . . everything," Kate said suggestively, winking an eye at Rose.
"No, no. I'm used to there being no secrets or privacy, and everyone is good about respecting couple time," I caught a stare and couldn't help returning it, "That is . . . except for Emmett."
"Woah, why single me out little sister?" He asked with a mock hurt puppy dog expression on his face.
"Because you, brother," Edward answered for me, "are the only one that uses what you hear to embarrass her."
He leaned back in his seat to put his arm around me, effective stopping me from running my hand up and down his back and lightly scratching it as he had sat forward talking with everyone.
"Speaking of alone time," my husband said with a smile, "I think it's time Bella and I went back to our room and checked on Masen. You're all going to go out on the town for the rest of the night, right?"
"Absolutely. Emmett promised that if I wasn't getting to watch the baby, he would take me dancing whenever I wanted!"
"You're just using the baby to get her alone . . . again," Alice laughed, "Honestly Edward, you should let her up for air once in a while!"
"Who says I want up for air?" I laughed, standing and possessively putting one arm around Edward and the other flat palmed on his stomach . . . just above his pants.
The gesture did not go unnoticed.
"Well, we found some great new clubs here the last few days," Irina smiled," and there are a couple more I have been waiting to try out!"
We said our good nights, Irina and Kate each giving me a hug, though they were sure they would see me in the morning. Edward and I strolled hand in hand through the gardens that connected the buildings of the Hotel Cipriani, enjoying both the alone time and the view. The Venetian lagoon was beautiful, the lights and boats becoming fewer as the evening wore on. I was just pleased to be getting more quiet time with my husband.
Mom was awake, watching a late night talk show of some type on the television with Masen appearing fast asleep in his crib. Edward kissed me and excused himself, faining having to use the restroom and I was sure he was just giving me some time alone with my mom.
"Did he behave, mom?" I asked as I sat beside her and tried to take in what she was watching.
"He never so much as stirred, sweetie. Honestly, there has been nothing for me to do but see what as on the television. Did you two have a nice time?"
"We did. Edward wrote a song for me and he played it at the club," I told her excitedly as she stared at me, shocked.
"He what?"
"Edward wrote a song for me. Well, he has written one before, a lullaby, and one for Masen as well, but this one was different. There were words and he sang it in front of everyone," I trilled, sounding frighteningly like Alice when she was excited.
Mom looked at me like she didn't understand, so I tried to explain.
"The club here at the hotel was hosting kind of an amateur night, letting locals and anyone who wanted up in front of the mike to sing or do comedy or whatever. Edward played the piano and sang a song to me. I can't want for you to hear it, mom, it was just so perfect," I bragged on my husband.
"He is really thoughtful, baby. You two seem to be very much in love," she said softly.
"Mom? What's wrong?" I asked worriedly, scooting closer so that I could touch her shoulder.
"Just a feeling I have, sweetie. I can't explain it," she said shaking her head.
"Renee," Edward called as he walked into the room.
I knew the minute I saw him that something was wrong.
"Carlisle called. Apparently there was an accident at the training camp today. Phil was hit with a pitch and it knocked him out. He had Dr. Cullen down as a contact so after you didn't answer your phone, they called Carlisle. The hospital isn't allowing calls at this hour, but he says that Phil is too groggy to talk anyway. the thing is, when he went down he broke his ankle, kind of a nasty break and he will be on crutches for awhile," Edward explained.
"Oh! I left my phone in my room tonight! I need to go to him!" Mom exclaimed, frantically standing.
"I thought you might feel that way. Marco Polo Airport in Venice is only half an hour away. There is a flight connecting to Jacksonville through Atlanta that leaves in three hours. I ordered transportation, so a boat will be waiting to take you to the airport in an hour, if you think you can be ready," Edward offered.
"Yes, of course we will ride with you to the airport," he told her, reading the panic in her mind at the thought of getting there by herself in a foreign country. "Let me call Rose. I'm sure she would love to watch Masen while we're gone."
"Thank you, sweetheart," I said, hugging his neck and kissing him on the cheek, "I'll go with mom to pack her things while you call Rose."
"Of course," he said, stepping closer to hug my mom. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Renee. Carlisle would have told me if there was anything else," he said, obviously trying to comfort her.
Edward hugged me to him and told me not to worry just before I left to go with mom and get her packed. I couldn't help but think there was something else, something to do with me that she was having an uneasy feeling about. She had promised no questions, but I was going to have to find out what was bothering her.
When we got to her room, she flung her suitcase on the bed and started tossing things toward it, raking the bundles of things from the drawers in as well. At this rate, nothing was going to fit, much less make it home without being wrinkled. I picked up each piece, folding it as best I could given the amount of things that were piling up, and placing each thing into one of the cases available.
"Mom, why don't you just take a carry on bag with the things you need and I'll have the rest sent to your house. You really are in no condition to be worrying with all this through customs and all," I suggested.
"Can you do that?" she asked, somewhat stunned.
"I suppose. It shouldn't be a problem, really. I'm sure we can have it taken care of in the morning and not have it stress you out," I told her, still folding.
She plopped down on the bed, letting her breath out in a sigh, her hands folded in her lap.
"You really are just so together these days, sweetheart. Being married certainly seems to agree with you," she smiled, reaching to hug me.
"Edward seems to agree with me you mean," I laughed, "the married part is just details."
"Well, however you want to explain it, that boy and now your son, well, I've just never seen you so content and happy. Nothing seems to phase you, Bella."
"Maybe I've just been blessed to find the perfect man for me, mom. We can travel or go to college or whatever we want to do, without the hassle that most people have with money or disagreements with family. I think finances add lots of stress to people's lives, and we don't have that . . . even at our age," I explained, "but even if we did, I don't think it would matter. Edward makes everything seem perfect, whatever happens to be going on."
"I just want to make sure you're doing the right thing for you, sweetie, not being overwhelmed by the fantasy of it all. I saw how you were without that boy, I know you love him. It's just that, well," she hesitated, "are you sure all of the rest of it, his family, the finances . . . are you sure you want all of it?"
"Mom. I have Edward and Masen. He would change all the rest of it in a heartbeat if I needed him to. I absolutely know that he would do anything for me, and I feel exactly the same way about him," I said emphatically, "I love him."
She looked at me . . . stared at me, really, for a long minute, my hands in hers as we sat facing each other on the foot of her bed. I knew what she wanted to know . . . and I knew I could never tell her.
"Everything is perfect, mom. Really. You need to take care of Phil and tell him we hope he gets better soon," I said, bumping her shoulder with mine.
"You know what I'm getting at, though," she insisted.
"I know, mom, and you know that I can't tell you any more than you already know. I am happy. That should be enough," I all but pleaded.
"Just promise me you won't disappear without a trace, baby. I have to know that I'll see you and my grandson again. Promise me."
"No one can promise something like that, mom. You know that. As far as I know, Edward and Masen and I will see you when we get back from this trip, or at least call you. Just be patient. Everything will be fine, really," I insisted to her, seeming more like the mother than the daughter.
"Hopefully we'll have some good news about a baby brother or sister for Masen."
"So, you two are tying for another baby so soon?"
"No. We aren't exactly trying . . . we're just not preventing. We talked about it, and if God wants us to have another child, then he will give us one. I think we would both love another baby, but we will just have to wait and see."
"Well, you two have years and years for that. You can have children well into your forties these days without worrying so much about it, sweetie. You never know, you and that boy could have a dozen by the time you're both fifty!" she laughed.
I smiled and laughed with her, knowing full well that a sibling for Masen was now or never . . . we didn't have till I was 40 or 50 . . . I would never ever even reach 21.
~oooOooo~
EPOV
I heard their conversation, of course, and the resolve with which my wife comforted her mother. I knew, though she had never before we had Masen realized it, she now really did want another child. I understood. It just wasn't worth the risk to wait longer. Still, the thought of taking her mortal life away caused me grief, though I had agreed to change her whenever she wanted.
I heard her words to her mother, trying to explain us.
"Mom. I have Edward and Masen. He would change all the rest of it in a heartbeat if I needed him to. I absolutely know that he would do anything for me, and I feel exactly the same way about him, I love him."
. . . and she was right. I would do anything for her, and I no longer dismissed her human feelings as not as deep as mine or fleeting. That girl loved me every bit as much as I loved her.
I walked into Renee's suite without knocking, hearing that they were in the bedroom.
"Are you ladies about ready?" I asked, knowing the answer before the question was asked..
"Sweetheart, I suggested that mom just take a carry on so that she doesn't have to worry about customs and luggage. I told her we would ship the rest of her things to her house, that's possible isn't it?" my wife asked.
"Of course. There's no need to worry about anything right now but just getting you safely home, Renee. When you arrive in Jacksonville there will be a driver there holding up a name card, waiting to take you to the hospital or to your car, whichever you want first. Everything is arranged and I'm sure Alice can make short work of getting these bags there as well, if I know Alice. She knows all the ins and outs of shipping clothing." I laughed, trying to lighten the moment.
Renee tucked a few more things in her bag and glanced at the room again, thanking me profusely for treating her to such accommodations and having her with us these last few weeks and such. I took her bag from her and grabbed my wife's hand, gesturing to her coat that I had laid on a chair in the living room. It was winter and quite cold outside at this hour of the early morning.
"Ready to go?" I asked.
We walked out to the dock where I found our boatman with no trouble. Mind reading came in handy in very practical ways sometimes, and there was only one boatman thinking about going to the airport - and he was in a gondola, but outfitted with a motor for the open lagoon. We were seated, covered in blankets and headed across the lagoon in no time, Bella and Renee sitting together in the seat in front of me, their arms around each other as they went back and forth pointing out things that were beautiful, discussing the crisp air, and expressing how much they were going to miss each other. Though I had felt it time for Renee to go home, having had my mother in law with us for over a month, I hated that it caused Bella pain to part from her.
We walked her into the airport and saw to her tickets before going through yet another round of hugs and kisses. They were crying, of course, and Renee promised to call as son as she arrived home and let us know how Phil was.
I left with my arm around my teary wife, determined to make her feel better. I instructed the gondolier to take us back through the grand canal and all the romantic points of the city. They would not be very populated right now, just a few hours before dawn, and he was happy enough to oblige after I passed him a hand full of bills.
I sat in the back, reclining seat and covered us both with the blankets, getting comfortable for the ride with my arms around my wife and her head resting on my chest.
"She'll be all right, you know," I tried to comfort her.
"I know."
"You were wondering if you would ever see her again, weren't you?"
"Yes," she replied,so softly it was almost lost on the wind..
There were no words between us for the longest time, just her fingers softly stroking up and down my forearm under the blankets and the sound of the boatman singing softly in Italian.
Love songs, of course . . . though Bella had no idea what the words meant, the tone was unmistakable.
"Even if you join me right way . . . you should be able to see her again. She just has to keep her word that the differences she notices can't be questioned," I whispered.
"I know. But her promise was about you and Masen. I don't think she could manage it when it's me that's different, and as much as your family tries, the differences are kind of obvious," she insisted.
"Obvious to you," I corrected.
"No, just obvious. Other people notice, they just don't care enough to look further . . . like I did," she explained as her fingers drifted from my forearm to the waist of my pants.
"Bella! No one else is ever close enough to me to notice that difference," I said, guiding her hand over the front of my pants and gently rocking my length against it."
"Silly. Not that difference," she said as she slid her fingers under the material and gripped me, eliciting a small moan from me and apparently triggering the purring that she loved so much.
My hand found its way to her breast and gently massaged it, causing the nipple to pebble under my fingers and my wife to snuggle even closer to me, bending her neck to reach for my lips. It was everything I had ever hoped for - the girl I loved, snuggled in my arms in a gondola under blankets in the chill night while the boatman sang soft words of love and the lights of Venice flickered and their reflections shown on the water of the lagoon. It felt as though it was something out of a dream, the perfect representation of young love and fulfilment, lust and contentment all wrapped up into one vision . . . one girl, and she had agreed to forever with me. To say that I was a happy man was a complete understatement, and it was all wrapped up right here in my arms.
We reluctantly uncovered ourselves and thanked the boatman, making it worth his while to have spent the night showing us his city. There was no one else about as we made out way through the gardens towards the entrance to our suite. With my wife wrapped tightly around me and her lips attached to my neck, her hands in my hair, I might not have noticed if the entire Italian guard happened to parade by.
I did, however, notice the thoughts coming from my sister and my son, and I had barely opened the door to our rooms before the contentment I had been feeling had turned to absolute rage. I hurled the object of their thoughts - the vampire that had verbally assaulted my son - through the open glass doors and out into the lagoon . . . the calmer of the two choices in my mind. The other choice would have involved disposing of the pieces, and I had other plans for the rest of the evening . . .
~oooOooo~
Tanya POV
"I will rip you apart and burn the pieces, understand me?" Rosalie glowered.
"Rose, I only came in for a closer look. Really. It's not as if any of you intend to keep that thing," I said, referring to the small wailing child in the crib as I stared at her as innocently as possible. "And your brother's little display tonight," I shook my head, "Mai sono stato solo il vostro. He has only ever been hers . . . please. What a ridiculous thing to say."
I hadn't even gotten close to the crib it was in, well, I had barely gotten in the window when the annoying little brat started screaming. Honestly, you had to wonder why in the world anyone wanted one of those things. Rosalie had mourned and moped for years about her lost ability to carry and give birth to a child, though I had no understanding of it. We were young and beautiful forever and I had no idea of anything that could be better than that.
"After today, Tanya, I have no idea what you are capable of. I heard about the little stunt with my brother in the hot tub. Really. Do you have to be such a slut?" she said as she took the baby in her arms and it glared at me.
"It's my nature, Rose . . . you know that. Anyway, I just wanted to give her some pointers if he's going to be toying with her. She couldn't possibly know how to please him and I . . ."
"Shut it now if you know what's good for you," she insisted.
"Rose, please," I said dismissively as I sat on the bed, curling my legs under me and getting comfortable.
It was a human response that I had gotten down pat, especially to soothe the guys I took home with me when we got to the bedroom and they suspected that something was amiss. Rosalie spent so very much time around humans, I had hoped it would work with her as well . . . though it didn't seem to. She was in full protective bitch mode, and I admired her for it. She did it well.
"Have you ever wondered why Edward never wanted either of us? Carlisle changed you with the hope of your being a mate to Edward, after all," I explained, as though Rosalie didn't already know the story.
"Don't start, bitch. Yes, I wondered. Yes, I was mad when he chose a human and was so totally crazy over her. It hurt my pride, but some people are not meant to be together and others are made for each other. Bella is his exact equal in every way."
I could not help but let out a huff at the very idea . . .
"Well, I hope he knows that when he comes to his senses and wants me, I am not raising that for him," I glared at the small thing in her arms, "he'll have to kill it and be done."
I hadn't really bothered to look at it in the museum, and though I had perfect recall, I had come in to get another look. He was small, but then babies always were. I had no idea how old he was, but he held himself upright and seemed very aware of everything around him. At least I assumed it was a him. The ringlets of dark coppery hair hanging thickly to his shoulders and beyond would have been any little girls dream and the cherub face with such bright eyes and beautiful porcelain skin . . .
The child had grasped my hand with a force I would have expected only from a vampire as he removed my fingers from his father's shoulder at the museum. Though I could hear a heartbeat, his touch had been much cooler than a humans, and his skin hard and smooth.
I closed my eyes for a moment, remembering in detail the appearance of the baby when I had seen him earlier in the museum. His eyes had been bright green with the slightest burgundy around the edges but now they seemed . . . black. Completely black and molten. Whatever. He was an odd little thing, though I saw Edward in all of his features, other than the shape of his eyes. That he had gotten from the little appetizer that Edward referred to as his wife.
Wife indeed. She wasn't even his mate. She was a toy. Something he did to occupy himself, or perhaps to quench his curiosity about sex, nothing more. Like she could ever do anything for him in terms of sex. Oh I had seen her face in the hot tub, and I had no doubt that he could please her, but her pleasure him? . . . please . . .
"I don't think you ever need to worry about Edward coming to you for anything, Tanya . . . especially anything to do with sex . . . or the baby . . . or anything else other than, of course, to rip you apart when I tell him that I found you here in Masen's room," Rosalie quipped.
"You wouldn't dare," I all but spat.
"It doesn't matter whether I would or wouldn't. He'll read my mind and know," she said stoking the baby's back, "or Masen will tell him."
"Just how in the hell would that little half breed, hybrid brat tell him anything? He's probably too young to even have coherent thoughts, if it even has any ability to think," I scoffed.
Perhaps I should just end him now and save everyone the trouble. Edward would thank me later. My scent was already here, and Rose would see me leave without the thing with me . . . I could come back later and take him out in the lagoon and drowned him and no one would ever know. There would be no point in draining him, he wasn't even large enough for a snack, and he smelled too much like vampire now that I thought about it.
I stared at the child like thing and he seemed to stare back, intently . . . as though he was seeing into my mind. I felt somewhat odd, like the room spun slightly, though I knew it wasn't possible. Vampires had impeccable balance and sense of themselves, after all.
I wondered why I was sitting, and why Rosalie looked so mad. I had only come in to help, after all, to make sure the baby was alright since I knew that Edward and Bella had left him with Rose. I stood and brushed the wrinkles from my dress, checking my makeup in the mirror and to see if the wind had ruined my curls. It hadn't of course. I was as stunning as ever, ready to go back out on the town and party with the best of them.
"See you later, little man," I said, cooing to the baby as I reached to stroke his cheek and Rosalie stepped back, preventing me from touching him.
"What the hell, Tanya! What's wrong with you?" my cousin asked, seeming to be somewhat perplexed.
"Nothing. Is there anything I can do to help with this cute little one before I go?" I asked politely.
"Never. Just get out and do not come back," Rose spat at me.
She certainly was in a bad mood this evening, but Rosalie could be quite the moody bitch from time to time. I had only come by to help. I could leave if she was going to be like that, so very rude to me. After all, I only wanted to make sure the little boy was safe, I was only being a friend to Edward and Bella. They were such a cute couple, who could help liking the girl Edward had picked .. . .
We walked to the living room . . . well, I walked and Rose followed holding the baby warily. For heavens sake, did she think I would ever hurt something as precious and cute as a baby? Really!
I was admiring the view out the side of the room that was glassed in and virtually open to the Venetian lagoon. It was very early morning and there was not a soul in sight - not even the lights of a boat could be seen. Of course, It was the best view in the place, the balcony all but hung over the water and gave a 180 degree of the city. Edward would only have gotten the very best accommodations in the city for Bella to stay in. I turned to Rose just as Alice abruptly walked into the suite, followed by the rest of the gang.
"Tanya!" both my sisters seemed to all but scream at the same time.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Emmett growled as he and Jasper seemed to position themselves between me and the child in his wife's arms.
"I came to check on the baby, of course, what in the world else would I be doing in Edward and Bella's suite?" I said innocently.
It was kind of surreal, the expressions on the faces of everyone in my family. The child in Rosalie's arms reached forward and put a hand on each of his uncles shoulders as they stood protectively in front of him, pushing them to the side. He then sat back into Rose's arms and began to clap his little hands together and laugh loudly, smiling and giggling. No one said a word as their mouths hung open, staring at him.
It was then that Edward walked in with Bella right behind him. He never hesitated or paused but walked directly over to me with a steel hard expression on his handsome features. I had no time to even grasp what had happened before I felt my body hit the water and realized I had been flung from the windows of the hotel and had landed out, over a hundred yards away in the middle of the lagoon. What had I ever done to him but be a good friend and companion? Well, there would be hell to pay for treating me like that!